4 days in, where’s my cycle

[brkesar]

Hi all,
I know there’s hundreds of threads about cycling but all appear to have numbers to reference on day 2-5.
I am on day 4 still sitting at zero so want to reassurance I’m not messing this up.

Setup:
75 gallon tank
80lbs of Coral Gravel
20lbs of wet life rock
40lbs of dry life rock
Filled with tap water + instant ocean salt, treated with stress coat.
No fish

Measurements using API master kit
PH: 7.8
Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: 0
Salinity: 1.026/34

Day 2 I added API QuickStart 130ML to add in bacteria.

My question is does this seem correct? I keep reviewing other cycles and it appears people are seeing ammonia and nitrite spikes. I have yet to see any fluxication in my numbers they have held constant.

Any advice will be appreciated, thank you!!

 

[Dbichler]

Did you add an ammonia source if not that’s why you’re not seeing anything.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

You need some ammonia, liquid ammonia, or pinch of fish food or something, the bacteria needs something to eat to start the cycle.

 

[Cell]

Can you explain what 20lbs of "wet life rock" is? Do you mean live rock from an existing tank?

 

[brkesar]

Can you explain what 20lbs of "wet life rock" is? Do you mean live rock from an existing tank?

Sorry, newbie here. Yes it was in an existing tank with fish from our local aquarium supply store.

 

[brkesar]

You need some ammonia, liquid ammonia, or pinch of fish food or something, the bacteria needs something to eat to start the cycle.

Duh, that makes sense. Is one method preferred over the other?

 

[FUNGI]

drop in some fish food and give it a week or so. That Live Rock you used will help it out allot.

 

[Cell]

If you added 20 lbs of wet live rock from the store you are already cycled and can start stocking slowly. 20lbs of live rock can sustain several fish and will seed the dry rock.

 

[ScottJ]

Tap water is not the best option to use. Research and strongly consider an RODI filter.

 

[brkesar]

Tap water is not the best option to use. Research and strongly consider an RODI filter.

I have been reading a lot about this! That’s our next project will be getting one of these and setting it up. Thanks for the advice

 

[brkesar]

If you added 20 lbs of wet live rock from the store you are already cycled and can start stocking slowly. 20lbs of live rock can sustain several fish and will seed the dry rock.

Wow really! That’s great news. I was worried not seeing the increase/ fluctuation in numbers was a concern that we didn’t start the cycle yet.

 

[brkesar]

Did you add an ammonia source if not that’s why you’re not seeing anything.

No ammonia source added, I was under the impression the live rock would be adding enough bacteria source.

 

[ScottJ]

No ammonia source added, I was under the impression the live rock would be adding enough bacteria source.

Wet, cycled rock from another tank is the bacteria source. The bacteria need something to eat, like decaying fish food or ammonia you add for cycling or waste from a live fish. If (when) you you put anything alive in it, never add liquid ammonia at the same time!

 

[Fish Fan]

Duh, that makes sense. Is one method preferred over the other?

It's more or less a preference thing, with some reefers preferring to just add some fish food to the tank or throw in a piece of shrimp from the seafood market or grocery store. Either one will breakdown and give off ammonia that your bacteria will convert to nitrite and finally nitrate. Personally, I prefer the bacteria-in-a-bottle along with bottled ammonium chloride. I just feel like it's a bit more precise, though that level of precision isn't needed at all, and I do feel like using the shrimp method can sometimes literally smell up your house.

But, as others have mentioned, if you added 20 something pounds of a good quality live rock from your local fish store, you are well on your way to being fully cycled, if not completely cycled (and I am not one to rush the nitrogen cycle). If you were to add ammonia at this point, it should go down to zero fairly quickly. If you have a source of ammonia (fish food, etc.), but are recording zero for ammonia, and you see your nitrates starting to rise, I believe you would be good to go to start very slowly adding livestock. The live rock you added should be more or less instantly processing the ammonia, which is why your tests should be zero.

As @ScottJ mentioned, you will really want to get an RODI water filter setup for your fresh source water. There's just too much that can go wrong with tap water, it's definitely best to start with the purist fresh water you possibly can.

Best of luck with your new tank!

 

[TBSB2019]

The chlorine in the tap water could have killed off most of the bacteria and all the bacteria with enough exposure.

 

[Fish Fan]

The chlorine in the tap water could have killed off most of the bacteria and all the bacteria with enough exposure.

Good observation and suggestion! But the OP mentioned he treated the tap water with API's Stress Coat, which is also a dechlorinator, so I don't think that's a problem here.

Filled with tap water + instant ocean salt, treated with stress coat.

 

[TBSB2019]

Good observation and suggestion! But the OP mentioned he treated the tap water with API's Stress Coat, which is also a dechlorinator, so I don't think that's a problem here.

Gotcha. Didn't see that. Oops. My bad. The bacteria do need food though. Lol

 

[Fish Fan]

Gotcha. Didn't see that. Oops. My bad. The bacteria do need food though. Lol

No worries! It was super easy to miss, that's why I reposted the OP's original statement. But otherwise a totally logical suggestion.

 

[TBSB2019]

No worries! It was super easy to miss, that's why I reposted the OP's original statement. But otherwise a totally logical suggestion.

Honestly had to look it up to see what it was when you did. I have always had a RODI.

 

[Fish Fan]

Honestly had to look it up to see what it was when you did. I have always had a RODI.

RODI is the way to go for reef tanks hands down. I'm familiar with Stress Coat from keeping freshwater tanks, where I do think it's useful and has a place. But most reefers do not use these products in their reef tanks and most may not know that Stress Coat is also a dechlorinator.